Li Ming wasn’t idle, staring at her bare feet. Instead, he stood up and pulled two photos from his pocket, placing them on the table.
These were precisely the reason for Wang Keyan’s return—photos of her mother in her youth!
Having just put on her socks, Wang Keyan naturally noticed Li Ming’s actions. When she saw him take out her mother’s photos, her face lit up with joy. She immediately snatched the pictures and hugged them tightly to her chest.
“So it was you who took them! This is wonderful—this is the only photo I have of my mother.” The relief of recovering what was lost made Wang Keyan cherish the photos even more.
“Yeah, I came by earlier but couldn’t find you. I planned to return them to your mother, so I kept them safe.” Li Ming suddenly recalled Wang Keyan’s frustrated stomp in the room earlier—she must have been upset about the missing photos.
Remembering the scene, he couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle.
“Um… Warden, I’m sorry for misunderstanding you. Now I know—you’re a good person! Thank you for coming to find me!” Wang Keyan said gratefully.
If not for Li Ming, leaving now might have meant never seeing her mother again.
“No need to thank me. It’s my duty. My name’s Li Ming. I’m probably a bit older than you, so just call me by my name.” Li Ming thought to himself that no gratitude was necessary—Wang Xin, her mother, had already paid him enough.
“Ah! Okay, Brother Li! Then… can you take me to see my mother? All these years, I’ve missed her so much, but I only ever see her in my dreams. People always say I’m a motherless child, but I’d rather they call me a drug dealer’s daughter—because I do have a mother!!” Wang Keyan’s emotions overwhelmed her again, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing her cry, Li Ming quickly comforted her. He nodded firmly and said, “Of course! Our prison allows visitation. I’d never stop you from seeing your mother.”
“That’s amazing! Thank you! Thank you so much, Brother Li! Waaah…” Hearing the answer she longed for, Wang Keyan burst into tears, unable to hold back. Years of pent-up sorrow seemed to pour out at once—no one knew how much she had suffered all this time.
Li Ming wanted to console her, but mindful of propriety between men and women, he could only watch silently from the side.
Wang Keyan cried for what felt like ages, pouring out her hardships between sobs. At some point, she moved closer to Li Ming, gripping his hand tightly, thanking him over and over. The thought of seeing her mother again filled her with such happiness that, exhausted from crying, she eventually fell asleep still holding his hand.
Seeing her finally calm and asleep, Li Ming didn’t have the heart to disturb her. He stayed still, letting her cling to him.
Carefully turning his head, he studied Wang Keyan’s face—streaked with tears, yet still strikingly beautiful, even more so than her mother. Her slightly parted lips, rosy and delicate, seemed to hold an inexplicable pull, drawing his gaze.
This is her daughter. Her daughter. Her… Li Ming didn’t dare move. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa, eventually drifting off as well.
The night passed swiftly.
Morning arrived. On the sofa—
A man and woman lay tightly entwined, not just holding hands, but with the man’s arm wrapped protectively around her, keeping her from slipping off.
In such a situation, who woke first became the critical question.
True to expectations—
While Li Ming was still lost in dreams, Wang Keyan stirred awake first. For some reason, she had slept exceptionally well. About to stretch lazily, the moment her eyes opened, she froze in place, not daring to move a muscle.
Her eyes widened in shock as she desperately replayed last night’s events. She remembered crying herself to sleep while holding Li Ming’s hand, but…
But things couldn’t have escalated this fast, right? How had she ended up in his arms?!
Panic set in. What should she do? How could she extricate herself before Li Ming woke up?
Help needed! Urgent!
But their position was far too intimate. Swallowing her embarrassment, Wang Keyan decided to first carefully slide her hand free.
Seeing Li Ming still asleep, she grew bolder. Propping herself up with one arm, she tried to lift her body off him—
The real challenge was her other hand, currently trapped beneath Li Ming.
Her face burned, but she didn’t dare move recklessly. If she yanked her hand out, he might wake up, and that would be mortifying!
And his arm was still draped over her. If she stood abruptly, it would surely fall—what then?!
As Wang Keyan racked her brain for solutions, she failed to notice Li Ming’s own eyes snapping open, staring at her in stunned silence.
He, too, froze, not daring to move.
Blood rushed to his head, his body growing uncomfortably warm.
Meanwhile, Wang Keyan, still without a plan, felt her supporting arm ache from the strain. She wouldn’t last much longer. Deciding to rip off the bandage, she prepared to yank her hand free and bolt upright—better a quick pain than prolonged agony!
But just then, she noticed Li Ming’s heartbeat—
Thump-thump-thump!!
…